1. Field
The present invention relates to a system for processing in-bound telemarketing calls and extracting caller information and, in particular, to the processing of in-bound calls to extract caller information and return the caller information to a remote server through the Internet.
2. State of the Art
In-bound telemarketing refers to marketing campaigns in which an advertisement or other solicitation is broadcast or distributed to an audience of prospective donors, contributors, clients or any group from which a telephone response is desired. The advertisement or other solicitation contains a phone number for members of the audience to call in response. If someone of the audience is interested in obtaining further information, they call the telephone number with the intent of giving, buying or seeking other information. In-bound telemarketing contrasts with or differs from out-bound telemarketing where the advertiser or solicitor obtains a listing of telephone numbers and causes calls to be made to the numbers on the list. If the call is answered, the solicitor or advertiser makes their pitch for the answering party to, for example, provide funds (e.g., donate, invest) or purchase goods and/or services.
Typically, in-bound telemarketing calls are received at a single location that is populated by one or more operators each being trained to handle the calls or certain kinds of calls. If operators are not available to handle a call, the call resides in a call queue until an operator is available to handle the call. In effect the caller is placed on hold until an operator becomes available to take the call. It is also known to receive in-bound telemarketing calls at a primary location which has means for diverting them to a secondary location if the primary location cannot handle the call. Call diversion is presently accomplished in two ways. In one way, an in-bound call is answered at the primary location associated with the number in the advertisement or solicitation. If all of the operators at the primary location are busy, a switch at the primary location dials out to a secondary location. If an operator is available at the secondary location, then the operator processes the in-bound call. Multiple secondary locations can be used in some circumstances so that, for example, a busy signal leads to a second dial-out operation. Eventually, unanswered calls are queued up or stacked in a PBX device or the like until they are answered.
Calls may also be diverted from the primary location to a secondary location using various call diversion techniques provided by telecommunication carriers. In one such technique, the carrier determines whether there is an operator available at the primary location using a xe2x80x9cbusyxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cring-no-answerxe2x80x9d signal from the primary location. If neither is present, then the call is routed to the primary location. If either of these signals is present, the carrier diverts the in-bound call to one or more of several secondary locations using some established hierarchy.
Another technique directs a certain percentage of in-bound calls to the primary location and a certain percentage of in-bound calls to one or more secondary locations. Yet another diversion technique directs calls to a primary location and a secondary location based upon temporal information, such as the date and time. A further diversion technique involves directing calls to either a primary location or a secondary location based upon the geographical location of the in-bound telemarketing call which can be easily discerned from the area code. Obviously, the identity of the number called also may be used in any one of the systems to identify the nature of the call and the specific advertisement or other solicitation prompting the call. Although not apparent, it can be seen that in-bound call processing is limited because in-bound telemarketing calls must be handled by certain trained individuals and that call processing is not easily modified to adjust for changes that may be desired to improve the scripts being used by the operators or for new or alternate programs.
Regardless of whether an in-bound call is handled by the primary location or a secondary location, the in-bound call must be processed. In most cases, processing of an in-bound telemarketing call involves taking and recording information from the caller that relates to the advertising or solicitation. Thus it may involve the need to take information that amounts to the placing of an order for advertised goods and/or services or the making of a pledge in response to a solicitation. Information associated with in-bound calls that are processed at the primary location is typically entered or easily entered into the computer system of at the primary location. However, secondary or additional locations are typically remote from the primary location. The information to be extracted from an in-bound call is recorded manually or by computer at the secondary location. It is not unusual for the data to be recorded in such a fashion that it may not be easily used or accessed because of differing formats, computer languages, time zones and the like. In turn the call information or data is not easily assembled or is something that is not easily merged together to be suitable for transfer to the advertiser""s or solicitor""s computer data base. Inherent delays typically are encountered because of the time necessary to obtain and translate as necessary the incoming call data for the advertiser or solicitor.
Traditionally, information about orders and the like at secondary locations has been periodically provided to the advertiser or solicitor in paper form. More recently, the secondary locations have provided the advertisers and solicitors with access to their computer systems so that the advertiser or solicitor can remotely access the computer of the secondary location and download the data to its computer system. For this reason, advertisers and solicitors may only utilize one secondary location to process in-bound calls that cannot be handled at a primary location. Limiting a particular advertising program or solicitation to one secondary location can impact on the response or which primary locations and secondary locations are suitable. For example, for a program in which a large volume of responses is anticipated, either large primary and secondary locations must be identified or the program delayed until they are available. Thus, a program may be delayed beyond the desired time for presenting the program or the scope tailored or reduced to fit the available resources. A program that is independent of the size of individual primary and secondary locations and to process multiple programs simultaneously is desired.
The present invention is directed to a system and method for processing in-bound calls that are made in response to an advertisement or a solicitation. Specifically the system includes call receiving means for receiving a plurality of in-bound telemarketing calls. A call distribution means is connected to the call receiving means for receiving in-bound telemarketing calls and for distributing each of the in-bound telemarketing calls in accordance with a distribution protocol. That is, the call receiving means can distribute calls to call processing facilities where ever they may be based on geography and also based on availability, temporal data (date and time), language, skill group (e.g., knowledge, sales ability), subject matter and the like. Call processing means or call centers can be individuals trained or educated for the task who work at home so that the system becomes or includes a virtual call center made up of a collection of individuals each of whom are at differing locations connected through the internet.
The system also includes computer network means for communicating data between and among computer-like devices. A plurality of call processing centers are each connected to the call distribution means to receive an in-bound telemarketing call from the call distribution means. Each of the plurality of call processing centers is operable by at least one operator to answer an in-bound telemarketing call received from the call distribution means for establishing two-way communications with the caller of the in-bound telemarketing call. Each of the processing centers has process center computer means connected to the computer network to obtain a first data form therefrom. The process center computer means is adapted to be operable by an operator to visually present the operator with the first data form. The operator operates the process center computer means to record desired caller information obtained by the operator from the caller on the first data form to form a first completed data form. The operator is then able to operate the process center computer means to transmit to the computer network means the first completed data form.
The system further has server means connected to the computer network means. The server means is operable for storing the first data form and for transmitting said first data form to a first call processing center upon request from a processing center computer means. The server means is also operable for receiving and storing the first completed data form with caller data from the processing center computer means through the computer network means.
In a preferred configuration, each process center computer means is connected to the computer network means to obtain therefrom a first script. The process center computer means is operable by the operator to visually present to the operator the first script for delivery by the operator to the caller. The server means is operable for storing the first script and for supplying the first script to the computer network upon request from a call processing center computer means through the computer network means.
Desirably the system may include a master processor connected to the server means for creating and supplying the first script thereto and for suppling the first data form thereto. Preferably and alternately, the master processor is connected to the server means for creating and then suppling a plurality of scripts including the first script and wherein the master processor is connected to the server means to supply a corresponding plurality of data forms for each of the plurality of scripts.
Alternately or at the same time, the system may include a customer computer means connected to the server means for receiving caller data extracted from the first completed data form which has been received and stored by the server means. Preferably the server has customer portion connected to interface between the server means and the customer computer means. Most preferably, the customer computer means is connected to the computer network means.
In another configuration, the server includes an administrative interface portion connected to interface with the master processor. Preferably the master processor is connected to the computer network means. In a preferred configuration the administrative interface means of the server means functions to interconnect the master processor to the server means.
In some preferred arrangements, the system includes first interface means connected between the call distribution means and each of the plurality of call processors for effecting an interface there between. In some of these arrangements, the first interface means is a call distribution network and even preferably the world wide web or Internet.
In more preferred arrangements, the first call processing center includes means for receiving and processing multiple telemarketing calls at the same time.
Alternately, the system may include ISP means connected to and between the server means and the computer network means. The IPS interfaces with the computer network and the server means. Preferably the computer network means is the world wide web.
In many configurations, the process center computer means is programed to include a browser for accessing the world wide web. In addition, each server means may be programmed to include a browser for accessing the world wide web.
Alternately the first script and said first data form are integrated to provide instructions to the operator as the first data form is being filled in by the operator.
In yet another alternate, the server means is programmed to have a data base to retain the caller data of a plurality of telemarketing calls received by each of the call processing centers.
In other configurations, the system has a server means configured or programmed so that first password means limits access of the process center computer means to obtain upon request only a first script and a first data form therefrom. In yet another configuration, the server means is configured or programmed to have second password means to limit access of the customer computer means to selected data from the first completed data form.
Methods of processing in-bound telemarketing calls include providing devices as denoted above. The call distribution means is activated to distribute each in-bound telemarketing call to one or more selected call processing centers. The call processing centers are thereafter operated to receive the in-bound telemarketing call and to establish two way communications with the caller. The process center computer means is operated to call up one of a plurality of scripts and a first data form which are thereafter read and filled out to create a first completed data form. The process center computer means is operable to cause the process center computer means to send the first completed data form to the server means.
In some embodiments, the first script is a script for fund raising and the first form is a first contribution data form. In some applications, the first script and the first form are configured for the user to identify one triggering event of several triggering events that stimulated the user to place the telemarketing call. In some specific applications, the first script is for fund raising for a radio or televison channel that has presented one or more shows to promote donations. The triggering events are therefor a plurality of shows presented to promote donations.
The first script optionally provides the caller with a promotional gift selection tied to the show presented to promote donations. If there is a gift involved, the first script prompts the caller to select the first promotional gift which correlates to a selected show of said one or more shows. The first contribution data form is configured to cause the first promotional gift to be identified to the operator upon identification of a correlated selected show.
In a most preferred arrangement, a master processor is provided and connected to the server means as herein before stated. The master processor is operated to supply a plurality of scripts including the first script thereto and for suppling a plurality of data forms including the first data form thereto. A customer computer means may also be provided and connected to the server means. It is operated to extract caller information there from.
Optimally, there is defined a method for processing in-bound telemarketing calls to receive pledges for an entity having presented a plurality of find raising events.